City of Ruin
by rhaego5
Summary: Short story about Flavia Auditore and Shao Jun's second meeting, and what links their lives together.
1. What Remains

**What Remains**

Eight years seems like a long time, but it speeds by when you ignore it. My mother had never revealed my father's true occupation to me, and I agree with her for the most part. I knew she feigned ignorance for my own safety, but, at least I would have understood why my brother was taken from us. Instead I was left with a mother who didn't love me, an empty villa and overgrown Tuscan countryside to tend. Until that, too, was snatched from me by death's cruel hand.

There was nothing left in that villa I wanted to keep, it all reminded me of what I'd lost; so I sold it, and that money took me to all corners of the world. Eventually, I was left stranded in Shanghai with little to my name but a fish knife and a few stray foreign coins – and although it was a beautiful city, I didn't enjoy the notion that I would be spending the night without a roof, or sustenance. Maybe I should have used the last money I owned on a letter to my Roman cousins; they may have at least felt some pity for my plight.

But no matter: I cannot alter the past; I simply have to find work, that way I may be able to find a Europe-bound ship and pay my way onto it. Simpler spoken than executed. However, in a foreign land, with little knowledge of the culture and language, finding currency was no easy task. After a day of wandering and questioning, I was given a position at an exotic pleasurehouse, who admired my fair skin and Mediterranean features. It wasn't ideal, but it was dry and warm. I was required, as well, to undergo a training period before I was 'open to men of status', so it would be some time before I gave myself away.

In this period, I learned the art of seduction and pleasure, along with a few of my fellow workers indulging me in lessons of society and speed, and after a week of exposure, I could hold a basic conversation in the dialect of Shanghai, and conduct myself politely and elegantly at tea parties and social gatherings. Though my training was still uncompleted, I was granted access to mingle with guests and dignitaries during the evenings, who would flock to me and my tales of the world. I soon had a list of men for when my training was ended, which would extend by the hour each night.

I grew to love the house that became my home, the men, despite the alcohol, were mostly gentle and courteous and those who opposed this disposition were guided to the courtyard and given instructions on respect. That was the house practice – as many of the girls were young and fragile. They all developed into my new family, whom I cherished and grew protective of. On more than one occasion, the house had hired assassins and spies against recreants and chauvinists. I was safe, for the time being.

I knew it would not last forever, but I had hoped it lasted longer than it did. Shortly after my 19th birthday, after 4 months of remaining in the house, one of my regular clients revealed to me, a thought. He arrived to the house manic from dread and suspicion – the girls fetched him wine and took him slowly to my room while I prepared behind a folding screen for his arrival. The man, Chen Gao, was a military general, and having recently been promoted I could somewhat understand his hysteria. He was young, and viewed as inexperienced; it would not be so strange for him to be killed in his juvenility.

Though he was shivering, and beads of sweat poured from his forehead – what had caused such anxiety. Suddenly, he sprang up, his hands holding my shoulders, his eyes searching my own.

"You must help me." He whispers, gripping me harder with each second passing. "They are coming." I blink, unable to understand. The best of my powers were to make a man smile; there was little else I was capable of. Just what did he expect of me? "Give this to my son…" Our conversation was ended then, by blood rising into and out of his mouth. They would have spilled onto me if I had not jumped away and allowed the body to fall limply before me. Before I was able to do anything else, a scream had ripped itself from my throat.

I had never seen a corpse before, and was certain I did not wish to see another as I watched his eyes roll to the back of his head. It was only at this point did I notice the cause of his death, as more blood flooded from a wound the size of my hand in the centre of his back. I kneeled beside him, took a stained envelope from his hand, and closed his eyelids. What a mess.

"They'll kill you for what I've done." A covered voice called out from the window, and I saw a masked figure sheath a dagger to their belt. They were tall, clad in black and hid away in the shadows. I had no response, but I could hear the sounds of both men and women moving to the stairs on the floor below me. "Come with me. Now."

"How can I…" The words seemed to slip from my throat before I could stop them; in my mind and heart, I knew I would not follow this figure. But before I could protest, they took my wrist, pulled me across the room and out of my window. It took longer than expected, but I was lowered to street level, and only then did I hear them speak again. It was just a simple apology, and did not atone for what they next did, as I was knocked unconscious and unknown to myself that night, but transported across Shanghai to a hideaway across the city.

There began yet another chapter of my life, and would trigger a memory I had forgotten long ago.


	2. Against All Odds

**Against All Odds**

Every part of my body ached in the morning, and I was parched. At least my kidnapper had the sense and decency to leave flasked rice wine by my bedside. Even if it was left on the wooden floors with no tray – and it would not dull the pain from my head, either. Who wanted me? And for what? What was so important about my existence, that my life be torn apart by politics and crime. What had I ever done to deserve such a fate – I was well-behaved, competent, even compassionate, I would argue. The cruel hand of destiny had placed me in the arms of those I was trying to avoid.

The room I had been sleeping was well-adorned, but dark. There were no windows, only several flickering candles in the corner sat upon a rough four-legged wooden table, and my own bed simply consisted of a futon, cushions of various sizes and sheets which appeared to be unwashed. There was only one piece of artwork to brighten the dull chamber; an exquisite hanging scroll featuring a teeth-baring tiger (far too crass for my tastes, but the art was excellent nonetheless). A pity there was no signature.

I poured myself some of the fiery drink and swilled it in my mouth, the taste was far too severe and it burned the back of my throat as it passed. I would never usually drink alcohol so early after awakening, but, since it was all I had been offered; I was therefore forced, through lack of respectful and proper hosting, to consume the appalling substance. It was at this point that I was interrupted, without a knock on the door, by a man barging his way into the room and staring down at me, as if I was some lesser being.

"I'm not an animal." I spoke, before he had chance. Though his face was covered in shadows, I could just about decipher the expression of anger which followed.

"You do not belong here." He rebuffed, as if I had been given a choice. From last night, I was wearing little more than my undergarments, and the way he glared unnerved me. I had born witness to a gaze like that too many times, and I would not allow it here.

I stood, slowly, gripping the sheets tightly around me, my eyes boring into his own. "You have entered a woman's chambers." I began, stepping closer. "Without sanction." I moved towards him once more. "And now you dare tell me, I do not belong." My voice was deafening now, and I was red in the face, I could feel the flush. But I no longer cared; I am human. Am I not deserving of respect!

I opened my mouth to continue, but a voice called from behind the open door. "Zhu!" That voice, it was female!

At this, the fool left me and, I assume, returned to whatever his duties may have been. He was away from me, and that was all which mattered to me during those moments. Then a woman appeared in the doorway, I assumed it was her who had spoken. She stepped past me, into the room and light and I noticed she was slightly smaller than me, and, it seemed, a little older. I could see evidence of stress detailed across her face, and my heart jumped.

"I am sorry," when she spoke, it was in broken Italian. A language I hadn't spoken in so long, I almost felt as though I couldn't understand it when she continued. "… Lady Auditore." At this, she pointed to a pile of clothes, bowed, and then departed.

It was as if my past had returned to haunt me, and I was no nearer to understanding my whereabouts and reasons of capture. But, the door was currently unlocked, and it seemed as if it would stay that way. Which is a positive note, I suppose.


	3. Next Time You See Me

I refused to rewear the clothes that I had been brought in, as they were now filthy and torn in many places. It would not be difficult to fix, had I access to clean water and a kit for sewing – but instead these _people_ insisted I wore what appeared to be male clothing and forsake my dignity in doing so. Maybe the woman from earlier had worn similar garments, but I certainly would not. Not for long, at least, until I was able to procure more respectable apparel, suitable for ladies. For the moment it didn't seem as though I had a choice, and included with the pile was a fresh pair of underclothing. So I changed, with my back against the door should another feel it fair to stroll in without knocking.

After this, I made sure to check the chamber for any of my personal items that may have been brought with me, but, there was none, so I then crossed over to the door and pulled it open, passing through the doorway to the hall beyond. It was busier, and far louder than I expected considering the quiet from my room, and I could not see anyone I recognised, apart from the man who I now knew as 'Zhu'. And so, I approached him.

"Zhu, was it?" I asked, however there was no reply, he didn't even bother to look at me when he ignored me. Wonderful. Well, at least he allowed me to leave me room. I began to walk forward to the centre of hall, which I could see was fantastically lit. The ceiling (or should I say, lack of), was a spider web of thick wooden beams which ran through the whole building, and the inhabitants, though all wearing similarly tailored uniforms (which were mostly black and red, though occassionally white or sandy coloured), sat upon futons and cushions of splendiferously bright colours, which at first took my breath away. Though it was my prison, it was definitely a place I could grow accostomed to.

Then I heard a voice I recognised. "Flavia!" I spun, seeing the woman who had visited me earlier picking her way through the shallow crowd to stand before me. "Welcome! To the…" She paused then, thinking, then responded in Mandarin. "_YiLuan Si_…?" A word I'd never heard before. She looked to Zhu, who just shrugged, then back to me, beaming.

At least she was happy; it was as if, it had been a long since she had been – the smile, though great, was tentative, and over quickly. I felt as though something had left the room when her smile vanished, and I wanted to make her laugh, to see it again. However, I wasn't very funny – it was the job of thespians who trained for many years. Eitherway, I could still feel a little empty and I knew the only cure was her grin. I just couldn't weigh up whether my embarrassment, should I fail, be worth it.

"So," I began. "You know who I am." I risked looking into her eyes when I said this (though I realised immediately it was the wrong decision), and she smiled once more, glancing to the floor, shuffling her feet awkwardly.

"Yes. I'm sorry, that was rude of me." She looked back up. "You do know who I am, though you were very young."

I spent the entirety of my early life in Italy, and I could not remember ever meeting such an exotic person there. No, the most interesting person I had ever met was my father, who I could not spend any of my later life with, unfortunately. If he had still been alive; maybe I never would have left.

Still, I shook my head. "No, I don't think so."

Again, she smiled, and my breath caught, though I had never met her before – I could see now, in the light, while we stared at each other, how exqusite she looked. I had seen beautiful women before (when you work in a place as I did, you become used to such views), but there was a different appeal to this woman's face. Maybe the lack of makeup, or bright surroundings – I could not tell at this moment, all I knew was how I felt in that moment.

Though it was fleeting, and something that took me by surprise. I was sure the feeling would pass. I felt similar emotions when conversing with some of the more popular ladies at my previous home.

"My name is Shao Jun. I met with your father, and you, when you were a child." My thoughts were interuppted, and I furrowed my brows in response. No. I would remember.

"I'm sorry, I just, don't remember."


	4. War Cry

**War Cry**

Shao Jun had left me – a young man with a longbow hung over his shoulders ushered her away – and I spent the next few hours investigating my surroundings: the hall I had entered into was actually an old bazaar, with the stalls still running. Though, there was little trade in coin – the majority of it was bartering. One particular man I was watching had a knife too many, so he traded one for an armful of bread loaves – he then traded most of the loaves for a fanciful persian-styled rug. Finally, he brought the rug to an old disused fountain in the centre, and placed it upon the ground, where he began to eat some of the bread he had attained. A while later, he began to share out the bread, even offering some to me, when it was obvious by Zhu's opposition behind me that he should not.

But, I was hungry, and disliked Zhu – so I took the food gratefully and sat beside the man upon his rug. He asked me many questions, and I did the same in turn to him, slowly, more people joined our conversations and I was able to slip out a while later. Though I enjoyed hearing the tales, and watching some surprisingly adept folk perform the stories as they were told, the bazaar was dusty, and I had not breathed fresh air since I had awoken. I made my way, as quickly as I could through the dense crowd, towards the exit, dashing for the door when I was close enough.

Finally, I barelled through, sucking the somewhat fresher air through my lungs. It was then that I noticed where I had been taken; while still in Shanghai (I could recognise some of the more sizeable landmarks, even in the darkening evening light), the scent of fish and noise of the waves meant that we were by the port. It was a start, at the very least, I just had to find someway of escaping this accursed city now. Though I hadn't killed the general – my untimely departure would only point the authorities in my direction. But with no money, and mostly likely being hunted: where could I go. I longed for the safety and familiarity of my family home now, surprising myself in the process, given how much I had hated the place when I'd left.

I decided then, to take a stroll to the seafront, from the level of noise it didn't seem to be a very long walk at all, and I needed the exercise – I felt as if I would start climbing the walls if I'd staying indoors for much longer. In the end, it only took a few minutes until I found myself sat upon the end of a wooden pier, gazing out into the darkness. Home really did feel a world away at this point.

"You shouldn't be outside alone." I heard the footsteps of someone approaching before I had heard Jun's voice, and I immediately recognised her when she spoke.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't going to be out long." I replied softly speaking in Mandarin as she had to me (while I appreciated hearing Italian again, she wasn't the most proficient orator), craning my head up to watch her as she moved to sit down beside me.

She sighed, staying silent for few minutes, the only sounds coming from the lapping waves and seagulls circling above. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so exhausted; yes, work was difficult, and it was emotionally draining – but my schedule was kept loose, and I had time to recover between sessions. And travelling had been a wonderful adventure – I had seen, and experienced so much in the last year, it had opened my eyes, not drawn them together.

But here, sat drenched in moonlight and salt water beside a woman I barely knew, speaking in a language I scarcely understood, I could practically feel the energy being taken from my body. And it was then, in this moment of silence, that I finally remembered.

"You're an Assassin." I stated. I heard a muffled affirmative from my midnight companion. "My father almost killed you when we spoke." We both laughed at this, reminiscing.

He hadn't let me spend much of my time with the stranger, even sending my mother, brother and I away to stay with a family friend after a few days of Jun's arrival. (I had never appreciated Machiavelli when I was young, he did not allow me to stay up late as I could convince my mother to.)

"Jun," I began, wringing my hands together and playing with the hem of the shirt I had been given earlier. I found it simultaneously effortless and challenging to talk with this woman, but at this time, I could not place why. "Why did you bring me here?"

She was silent for a while, and I could hear her open her mouth and take a breath to speak more than once, until, finally; "You are a legacy." Then she stood, her hand grazing my shoulder (either out of an accident or meant as comfort I could not tell), "Men may _write _history; but it is us who _define_ it."

I stood upright, taking her hand as she had offered it, but we both refused to let go. I could not understand, and she could not find the words to explain. I think we both felt, in time, everything would make sense.

"Flavia…"

I received, then, a rush of affection when I noticed the way she stared at me; for a moment, nothing else in my life mattered but hearing what this woman had to say to me. It was a moment so deftly intimate, something I never before borne witness too, that I was overcome with emotion, and barely heeded her next words.

"You are what you choose to be."


	5. Trench Rabbits

**Trench Rabbits**

It had been several days since I was originally taken from my dwelling in the brothel, and I had already begun to feel at home amung the brotherhood, if a little intimidated. These were people who could topple governments, shake entire countries to the core – and yet here _I_ was, picking up empty wine glasses from the communal areas.

My residence had since been moved from the old marketplace after I had awoken, and I was to spend the next few weeks living underground, in the dark, with the rats. Obviously; I had opposed this notion heartily, and it was altered:

* * *

"No! I will not spend my time living in some _hovel_ beneath the city." Tenacity flowed through my voice and I was practically screaming as I spoke.

"Then you will spend your time living in a cell!" It was Cheng who had spoken, then. She was a just a girl, younger than me, and very loud – she tended to rush tasks, and made simple mistakes frequently. But, she was an apprentice, and had the experience of a soldier at only sixteen. Her childish mistakes didn't surprise me; after all, she was still a child.

I laughed, though, at the irony of her words. "Would my time underground not be the same?" I looked to Cheng, and stared her down, even though she was still of a higher rank than me, and deserved the respect of such, I refused to bow to her now, and our next minute was wasted by further shouting each others opinions in the dirt.

Eventually, Jun, who had been silent the entire conversation, raised her voice: "Silence!" We both obeyed, and returned to our previous positions. "Flavia, you _will_ stay underground." I scoffed, glancing to notice Cheng's arrogant smirk – at this, I scoffed again. "And I will train you."

"Whoa—Wait a moment. As soon as this dies down, I'm going back to Italy." This was only a half truth – while I had no plan of returning to Italy, I did plan on leaving. I couldn't help the ache that Jun's look gave me at that moment, however, and I felt a conflict within me. I wanted to stay, to make her proud of me – she had called me a legacy – but how could I? Every law enforcement officer ten cities across, each way, wanted me caught, and I doubted whether I was alive or not mattered to them.

I heard Jun take a breath, and she looked to my eyes for a moment. "You would throw away everything that you are?"

"I vaguely remember you saying I was anything I chose to be."

There was a silence. After a few seconds, Jun signalled for privacy, and Cheng, Zhu and another assassin I had not yet met left the room, shutting the door behind them. There, in that stillness, I felt as though I could almost feel what Jun's look had meant – the anguish and pain of my rejection.

"We are losing this war, Flavia." Finally, she spoke, but it was so soft I could barely register it. "There are so little of us left now... You can leave, if you want. But, at least let me give you the skills you need to survive."

I thought for a moment. "You sound like my father." Smiling, I wandered away from her and the intensity of having her so close to me, and settled by a nearby table, using my closest hand to lift a filled cup of wine that resided there. "He'd always blamed himself, it wasn't until recently that I knew why." I took a sip of the bitter drink and swilled it around my mouth for a moment. After growing up on Italian wine, everything else seemed to pale in comparison. "It's hard _not_ to blame yourself when it's the ones close to you who die."

By this point, Jun appeared as thought she might cry, but in a second, the expression had disappeared and she was looking me dead in the eyes once more. "I prefer to celebrate my living friends, than dwell on deceased ones." I lifted my glass in response, taking another sip. "So you'll stay?"

I couldn't help but smile; "For a while." In a second, we were both grinning together which broke into laughter. I think it was something we both required after just weighty discussions.

* * *

Though, the move didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Not at first. Jun had decided that I require a bodyguard at all times while living in the hideout, and housed me in her own room, along with herself seeing as she had placed the task upon herself. We would not spend all my training hours underground, and the more experienced assassins were wary of strangers. Though it was against Jun's wishes – there was nothing to stop an overly cautious Master from taking my life, if they deemed it a necessity.


	6. China Rose

**China Rose**

While I adored spending time with Jun (she was an excellent conservationist and her travels allowed us common interests for our discussions), I soon began to grow weary of her constant shadowing, and I also found that there was little others in the hideout who enjoyed my presence as much as she did. After only a few nights; there was an attempt on my life, though Jun was able to placate the would-be murderer, there was little she could do in terms of reinforcements, or even a repeat attack some nights later should they try again.

She refused to even apprehend any of the culprits who did attempted to kill me, insisting that a good portion of their training was in preparation for events like this – when strangers entered the hideout. In fact, she mostly praised them for being able to reach so close to me, much to my own dismay. But, I was still exceedingly blasé with my surroundings and predicament, so Jun started my training earlier than expected – as I had been so swift to adjust.

Though my lessons differed slightly to any novices, as I was not being trained into the order; simply to survive long enough to reach far enough West that I would no longer be searched for. First lessons were that of detection and stealth, being taught that the greatest defence was an enemy's ignorance.

"If they do not know you are there; how can they capture you?" Jun's voice rang through the training hall. Some dummies had been set around the room in specific groups, and my job was to pass between them with agility and stealth. Something I had finding increasingly difficult to achieve as the session wore on.

"No! Keep your head down! Guards will suspect a hood, only if they notice it first." She shouted from across the room, while I ducked down as quickly as I dared, almost tripping in the process. "Do not give them the chance."

I sighed, standing and using the respite to take deep breaths – my tall stature only meant that I was constantly crouching slightly, and it was this that took most of my energy. "Oh, sure! I'll just stroll past and wait for them to notice me, shall I!" I growled, though not quite daring to look at my mentor when speaking.

"Well, then maybe you would want to venture the hideout by yourself, and see how you fare." Her voice was low but not angry, or aggressive – calm, though I would not question it, after a few days by her side I could usually tell when to press a subject and when not to. "We shall see if the Masters recognise you or not."

"No!" I jumped forward, closer to her as she turned, stopping, she looked back to me. Undeterred, I continued on. "I'm sorry, please. I'm just tired."

"I never said this would be easy." She whispered, stepping forward towards me and taking my hood in her hands on either side of my face. She then pushed it behind me head, to rest on my back and across my shoulders. "But you must finish, if you wish to survive. Come, it will be easier without your hood."

Meanwhile, I'm rooted to the spot with how desperately close she is, so much so that I could feel her breath ghosting my cheek, and take in her sweet, overly Oriental floral scent. It was at this point I realised my desire in being familiar with this woman; after years of travelling, I'd missed companionship and mutual friendship, it was something I had found for a short while at the brothel, but, since I would never return, I wanted to befriend Jun.

Ever since meeting her I could see how she wielded experience and skill, even in her daily life – and how she needn't ask for respect; it was given to her readily and heartily. Her resoluteness had affected myself in a way I had not realised; in our first meeting, I stood vis-à-vis with my kidnapper, and yet I offered her the dignity she deserved, as she had done with me.

So as I stood there, trembling from fatigue, drenched in my own sweat, fiercely attempting to shake the immovable memory of her aroma from my mind – I was unable to notice her approach me once more, only grasping the location of her presence when she placed a hand on my cheek, which lingered for a moment until she then pressed it against my forehead.

"Flavia." I looked up to see her gazing into my face. "We will finish now. I'll draw you a bath when we return to my room."

I nodded, following her slowly as she walked to the door. Even now, walking was aching me and it was an immense effort, but the thought of rest was too valuable to pass up, and I jogged a few metres to catch up with her, almost regretting the decision when I slowed to a walk again.

I turned to her, grinning already; "Same again tomorrow?"

We laughed simultaneously, and I risked taking her arm in mine. Though, when she did not resist, I leaned close to her: "You won't bathe with me?"

Her face beaming with amusement, the woman shook her head in response, looking to my eyes before speaking. "I'm afraid my bathtub is a little small."

I was more than used to bathing with other woman by this point; it was commonplace in the Orient, and I had often bathed with the ladies of the brothel for monetary concerns. It was a wonderful way of bonding with them, as we all relaxed when bathing together. Though, at Jun's answer, my brow furrowed and I pouted my mouth a little (already I was ashamed at such childish behaviour, but I had come this far).

"I don't mind the size; I was a _cortigiana_, you remember?" I laughed, attempting to keep the mood light, squeezing her arm and moving ever closer.

She was silent a moment, then I felt pressure on my arm, and she spoke: "Alright, alright. But let's eat, first."

I didn't respond in voice to her, only sent another squeeze of her arm and pressed against her side, giggling with her.


	7. Inertia

**Inertia**

It had been a couple of weeks since I had moved into the Assassin hideout with her, and while the scornful stares were all but none existent (as far as I could tell), still, most of the Assassins refused to associate with me. So one of the only friends (and I feel now I can refer to her as a friend) I had, was Jun herself. My guess was that, though they would probably still suspect me a spy, if they ever did, they more resented the fact of how close Jun let me reach her.

She no longer flinched when I touched her arm upon reuniting with her after a training session with Daiyu, and responded with a fleeting glance and a smile – she even brought me European wine when I mentioned how much I missed the taste. Yet she was so distant and, from what I could sense, terribly restless when dealing with her own kind. I would imagine it was because of how so many lives weighed heavily upon her, but now, with the Brotherhood thriving as it was; she no longer beared sole responsibility.

And I resented the time I spent away from her, it was not that I disliked Daiyu (she was outspoken, but honest and supportive nevertheless), in fact I enjoyed training with her, and learned much in only a short amount of time – but she was not Jun, and it dejected me. Daiyu, in fact, was an ex-courtesan like myself, and after each session we would enjoy tea together, recollect past events and compare them with one another. She was an excellent orator, and I found myself growing closer with her – however, during Daiyus and I's discussions: I would miss Jun's graceless floundering she commenced whenever she felt she spoke out of turn (it grounded me, and stressed the fact that I was living among _humans_; not mindless killers).

One afternoon, Daiyu and I were having tea together, though there had been no training session, there was an emergency which had demanded Jun's attention, and Daiyu had kindly offered to watch over me until her return. She was a tall, slender young woman in what appeared to be her thirties, with an average complexion and lengthy, sleek black hair, and a broken nose; which distinguished her from many of the other female Assassins I had encountered thus far.

Though, I imagined she soon began to tire of me as she later excused herself and assigned Zhu as a tempory warden, explaining how Jun was expected soon, but it still left me with hours to spare. After a short while attempting to converse with Zhu, I eventually conceded, and left him to guard me in peace; instead choosing to read until something more impressive claimed interest.

After a couple of hours, I had grown completely restless, and wished to stretch my legs – which Zhu allowed, if another guard would accompany him. I was of no spirit to argue, so granted his request and walked with him until he found Cheng, the young initiative who agreed to join him. No doubt for the experience, rather than caring for my wellbeing, but at least I was able to walk the compound rather than being stuck in one place, so my opinion on the affair was of little matter.

Though I found that aimless wandering wasn't too my taste, so I eventually found my way to the aviary, near the top floor of the hideout. Though Zhu still didn't communicate much, I spoke with Cheng in deep conversation about the construction and accumilation of the aviary – as a novice, she had spent many hours cleaning the cage and tending to the birds. I joined her then, in feeding them, and took an instant, particular liking to a rather amicable osprey when he would take fish from my hands, and be so careful to not hurt me in the mentioned that his name was 'Shenshi', roughly translated to 'Gentleman', and was gracious enough to offer me half an hour of her time everyday to feed the aviary with her, which I agreed too heartily.

It was an hour or so later, that Jun finally returned, finding all three of us still playing with the birds (Zhu had eventually joined us after Cheng begged him too), thanked my companions for staying with me, and we bid each other a good night. Then, she focused her attention on me.

"So, you met Shenshi." She chuckled, pointing to the hawk perched precariously on my shoulder.

I grinned, nodding in agreement while remaining in the same position of petting the bird (which I had been doing almost since I first entered the aviary). "I believe he's had enough of me for today, though." I released Shenshi and stood up, taking off the leather gauntlet and placing it in a box with several others, while continuing to speaking, though still with a smile. "I imagine by now, you're as tired of me as he is."

All I heard for a moment was Jun's soft laughter, and hand against my arm, guiding me out of the room, though I heard her speak as she starting to climb up to grab the cage keys (which had been covertly hidden against the bars above the large door). "I don't think I could ever tire of you."

My heart leaped in my chest, and I struggled find a way to respond – but I needn't, as Jun simply locked the door in silence, then took my arm and began a fresh conversation topic for our walk back to her room.

* * *

**A/N:** _I do apologise about the lack of updates; it's coming up to the end of the education year, so I've exams and deadlines and such. Expect updates to slow for the next month or two. They should pick back up over summer, sorry for any inconvenience._


	8. The Voice of Energy

**The Voice of Energy**

Though I enjoyed my time here, and many of the people I came across (most of the younger Assassins had warmed to me – and even some of the more experienced ones were beginning to tolerate my presence), spending most of day in the hideout was growing exhausting, and I longed for the day I was able to come and go as I pleased.

The main issue I had with this wish, was that I was still a wanted person in much of Eastern China. On top of the fact that the Assassins only allowed my staying with the knowledge that I would be leaving soon.

Though, I had already decided that I didn't wish to. I had friends here, and as much as I felt it strange (I had only known her a few short weeks), I loved Jun like a sister, or so I told myself. I found myself worrying about her incessantly when she was not beside me, despite her capability of surviving.

It had been several weeks since I had last seen her; some lower ranking Assassins had been caught attempting to break into the Forbidden City, and their rescue demanded several Master Assassins' attention – one of them was a noble's son, and though he had not yet been recognised; it was imperative to recover him before he was. His identification would alert the Emperor, who would turn his attention to the noble in question; an Assassin himself.

For now, I spent most of my days with Daiyu, Cheng and Zhu (the brute, however, only agreed to watch me for safety, rather than because he enjoyed my company). Nevertheless, I adored the time I spent with the other two Assassins, with Daiyu and I even teaching Cheng to dance. Who, in turn, had taught me the art of falconry and continued my combat training. And I insisted that we all sit and drink tea together, and it was during one of these sessions that Jun returned to me; after noticing her presence, Daiyu and Cheng bowed to her and left us alone in the balmy space.

There was silence between us for a moment, before I, desperate the break the tension, stepped towards her, grinning. "You were gone longer than expected." I spoke softly, reaching my hand out to take hers.

She nodded in return, relaxing her hands and allowing me to touch her. "There were…" She paused, her gaze drifting to her palm. "… Complications."

I frowned, unable to resist showing my emotion; "Are the Masters well?"

She smiled, nodding once more. "Yes." She took her hands away, and went to lower her equipment to the floor, first her packs, and then her weapons. One by one, until she was completely unarmed, save the blades in her boots.

As she moved, I took a breath, pushing the conversation forwards. "I'm glad to hear it. Did you free the young ones?"

She paused, looking up to me. Though she didn't say it, I could see sorrow in her eyes – and I felt I already knew the answers I had sought. "Just the boy."

"The others?" I whispered. But there was no response. "Is he well, at least?"

"We had to leave some of him behind." She finally spoke, her voice barely penetrating the silence.

I rushed to her side, taking her hands in mine again – "Jun," I struggled to think of what to say, desperately attempting to analyse a way to change the subject, though I needn't have bothered.

"I missed you."

I looked up to see her eyes staring into my own; hindering my thought process and almost rendering me unable to speak. I repeated her name, disorientated by the unexpected affection.

After this, she brought her lips to mine and kissed me. It lasted just a second, and I could notice that her usual sweet and floral scent was blocked by the harsh stench of the road, but I could hardly care as she cradled me in her arms for that moment, and touched her chin to my shoulder in an embrace.

Then, suddenly, we parted and it was as if she had never left – performing several tasks at once in her usual swift and determined manner, and I had all but ushered from the room as she drew a bath.

"We'll talk later." She assured me, planting another tender kiss to my cheek before directing Zhu to escort me to the hall for food. And at all this; my decision was made. There was no place for me anywhere in the world, but by her side.

* * *

**A/N:** _I apologise for lack of updates, again. My exams are finished, but I've got a summer job - it's very exhausting, so it takes me a while to finish a chapter._


	9. Fate's Game

**Fate's Game**

I joined her once more that night, though, rather than let her utilise the fouton, I (in my stubborness) demanded that she sleep in a bed, especially since she had been sleeping on the floor for weeks. And, (again, in my stubborness), I also was determined to stay in that bed with her. I expected nothing; she was exhausted, but I wanted little else than to fall to sleep in her arms – but, of course, plans rarely go the way you desire.

As I was unbuckling the tough leather corset I had been instructed to wear constantly (something I despised), I heard the faint sound of shouting. From experience, I knew to stay where I was. There were no safer rooms in all of the guild than Master Assassin chambers, and considering it was night – Jun would know exactly where I should be.

Only, she never came for me. Instead, I was greeted by another familiar face a few minutes later, after the shouting grew and I began to hear steel. The door burst open as Daiyu forced herself into the room, our eyes met and she spoke, plainly, rather than the game she would usually play with conversation.

"We're compromised."

Immediately, I jumped to follow her as we weaved in and out, through the panicing crowd to the stairwell. I took a moment (though there was none to spare), and glanced back at the chaos, instantly recognising the distinctive draconic helmets and bright colours of the Emporer's Elite; the Taiyang Long. The chance that they followed Jun would have been extremely small, and as Daiyu had stated, there was only one explanation in my mind. There was a traitor amongst the Assassins, one which would cost many lives tonight.

I hope that he was pleased with his work, at least – as it would be the last time he felt such emotion.

With that thought, I was dragged from the conflict by my companion, who had pulled me up the stairs to the roof. There, we met Zhu, Cheng and two young Assassins, who had only passed their test of faith within the last week. Their names were Hai, a young, lithe boy known as a master sailer and cook of ocean creatures (I vaguely remembered being told that his family were fisherman), and Lin, also young, but small and assasuming (I definitely remembered Jun mentioning that she was by all intents and purposes; average). Hai appeared as terrified as I did, and Lin, unfortunately, had been injured, and suffered a rather serious sword wound on the right upper arm.

I watched as Zhu took his leap of faith from a protruding wooden bar at the edge of the building, Hai followed, then Lin (with coaching from Cheng), and Cheng after her. Finally, it was my turn.

"Daiyu," I spoke as she shut the door behind us, placing a large block of stone against it once it was closed. "I can't—I've never even climbed before…" While I stuttered, she moved me forward, her arms tense and shaking against my shoulders.

"You can. Aim for the bale of hay." I had no time to protest this, as I half-willingly half-forced careered over the edge of the building. Halfway into my fall, I felt something jab me in the side, though I only noticed Zhu jumping down from the side of the building until I had exited the bale. Daiyu then landed.

But there was little time for explanation, and within seconds we were running, at first all-together, then seperately as some went the run along the building tops to scout and guide us below, but very quickly it became clear that there was no destination – we were just distancing ourselves from the battlefield. Guiding me into a small alleyway, we all met up for a moments rest and a swift discussion on our next move. Immediately, it was certain that there was no other safe house, not in this city – and I knew at once where we could go.


	10. Combat Ready

**Combat Ready**

"We can cut through there," I pointed towards a pair of trapdoors around the back of the building, knowing they led to a wine cellar beneath. It was starting to become light now, as it had taken us hours to traverse the city undetected, and our hearts sank as each our passed. In our journey, we lost Lin, as she slipped on a rooftop in the darkness, and although the fall didn't kill her; the blade to the heart did, as she attracted attention from her scream as she fell.

Though we had found Dajiang, a Master Assassin and expert swordsman as he cut his way through a number of guards – we assisted with disposing of the bodies as quickly as we could, and he passed Zhu and Cheng two of three swords he had been able to bring along with him, then, joined with us. Luck was on our side as we found Dajiang – he had lived in Shanghai his entire life, and considering he was closing to thirty years, he knew the city better than any Assassin I had met.

Locked. I heard Hai curse, with Cheng silencing him a moment later – meanwhile, Daiyu was taking a pin out of her hair, and beginning to pick the lock, though it was taking longer than expected. In such light, we were exposed, and I could see that we all felt uneasy. But Daiyu was still finished swiftly, and pulled up one of the doors achingly slowly, lowering the pace even more when there was a creak from the rusted hinges. It took a few minutes, but eventually we were all safely inside, with the door shut behind us. Finally, it was Hai who broke the silence.

"Where are we?" He began, though was calmed once more as there was a sound from across the room as glass shattered on the stone floor.

"Who's there?!" A voice cried, shaking and frightened, but it was one I recognised. Though it had been months since I had stepped foot in the building, I could still remember the faces and voices of my old colleagues at the brothel.

"Mei," I called softly, stepping into the light the wall torch brought. She started when she noticed me, intincts taking hold. I could tell I had only a few seconds to calm her otherwise the entire house would be alerted. "I know you're scared," She stepped back as I stepped forward, edging closer to stairs each time.

I went to step forward once more, but stopped as I heard the faint sound of steel behind me, I hadn't bothered to turn, as I knew what was to follow and a throwing knife was lodged into the courtesan's throat. Though, it surprised me to find that it was Daiyu who had acted – she was the Assassin who found killing to be a last restort. Usually.

Zhu stalked forward then, surprisingly lightfooted on such mammoth feet, and pulled the body behind wine barrels stacked in the corner. After this; they looked at me, though I only had eyes for Daiyu, still unsettled by the previous event.

"You needn't have killed her." I whispered, my voice strained despite the low volume. With shaking hands, I reached out to the Assassin, and she took my hand gladly, squeezing it and replying softly.

"It was necessary, Little One. She was about to flee." However, it didn't make my emotions still, and my mind was still reeling from witnessing the killing. I'd been so caught up in the secrecy and enchantment of the Creed that I was completely unprepared for this, and I knew that Mei's dying gasp would be haunting my dreams for a considerable time in the near future.

But there was no time for mourning now, and I pushed onwards and towards the stairs, my companions following my moves exactly in single file. We reached the summit of the steps and moved into the kitchen – with the light seeping in through the curtains, it was unlikely there would be any awake this early in the morning, except those cleaning from last night, which, as far as I remembered, was limited to one or two girls.

"Flavia?" I heard a whisper from behind me, and knew it as Cheng. Inpatient as always, though, in this situation I believed she was correct. If we did not move now, we would not move for much longer as our presence (with a group as large as ours) would be noticed. I pulled them all around for a plan of action.

"Your target," I began. "Is a woman in her late thirties with hair tied back." Faces looked to me expectantly as I hesitated. "Her name is Liu Fen, and she's faster than she looks. Her room, when I was here last, was the last door down the corridor to your left, after ascending the stairs." Finished, I looked up just as Daiyu nodded and pointed to Dajiang, then they both disappeared through an archway ahead of us.

"We'll go to the parlour room. This way." I whispered to the rest of us, crouching now and shuffling slowly through the brothel. It felt like hours until we eventually reached the location in question, but I knew it had only been a few minutes. Nevertheless, we had made it, were relatively safe and most importantly, had to wait only for the signal from the others, and we could rest.


	11. When the Sun Sets

**When the Sun Sets**

Within a few minutes I could hear the ringing of the morning bell, and then footsteps as the girls exited from their rooms and made their way downstairs to the entrance hall, easily making out the confusing questioning they made to one another as they descended. I watched as Daiyu stood before them, inspecting each and every girl excessively, I hardly noticed Dajiang return to the rest of the group unnoticed by the courtesans.

"Liu Fen is no longer the owner of this establishment." She bellowed, not even blinking as some of the girls jumped back, startled by the sheer volume of her voice. "She made a swift, practical decision to sell the building and left this morning. You may call me Fang Furen, and effective immediately, you answer to me."

Most of the girls either bowed their heads or curtseyed their new Madame, though some, unable to adjust (or refusing to) audibly questioned the new position of authority, whispering amongst themselves. Within seconds, they were ordered to leave, and if they were not willing, then they were thrown onto the street, with their personal items scattering in the dirt around them. The remaining women were given leave to return to their quarters to sleep, and once they were out of sight, the Assassins met together again.

Though I felt uneasy, and our situation had an air of uncertainty staining it. While the courtesans may accept Daiyu, their integrity would still be called into question. We would depend on absolute loyalty from every one of the girls, if even one suggested the presence of any us except Daiyu (who, with average looks and history as a courtesan would not be looked upon with curiosity), to any man with allegiance to the Emporer, then it could cost all of us our lives.

Thus began the screening process; over the course of a year, we were able to establish a trustworthy and dutiful team of woman, all of whom knew the existence of and pledged allegiance to the Brotherhood. All but one of the girls I had known were gone, and the one who remained was one I never had a particular liking of, until recently. We had been fierce rivals, using guile and allure to cheat customers from one another, though, now I could recognise a kindred spirit. She was valiant, and kind – and I never noticed such warmth in her before, though, I suppose, I had never wanted to. Rapidly, we became close friends and she would join Daiyu and I while we shared tea and conversation. The Master Assassin and I also began to notice how exceptional her powers of persuasion were, and utilised it.

While the remaining members of our original team of fugitives spent day and night relentlessly hunting lost Assassins from what we now called the 'Bureau Massacre', myself, Daiyu and our new companion would use our own abilities to convince the Assassins that were found into settling with us. Most did not take much influencing, but some – those who had lost everything they held dear, often took days or even weeks to convince.

Zhu began overseeing renovations and worked rather closely with an elder Assassin who had gladly taken work with us as our accountant, and together they expanded the business from a simple exotic whorehouse to an enterprise which spilled into the district. By the end of the year, we oversaw almost everything in our local vicinity, from the markets to the dock warehouses and even the local fishermen (who, notably, had been won over by Hai's extensive knowledge of the technicalities of fishing and trading), any other brothels or parlours in the area had either closed or been taken over by us, which Daiyu and I managed.

In this time, Dajiang had taken it upon himself to resume the training of any Assassins who had rejoined us, and Cheng began training hand-picked locals who impressed us, or at least aroused our interest. Together, with the help of some of the Assassins we had recovered, they supervised a network of spies, created for the sole purpose of tracking disoriented Assassins and establishing contact with other branches of Assassins across China.

However, even after a year, we had not heard anything regarding the Masters or even Jun, and as each day passed we all grew more impatient and anxious. Eventually, in one of our weekly meetings, Hai, who was usually rather reserved, was the one who spoke up.

"The Masters," He began, his voice barely a whisper. "They must be dead."

Cheng silenced him instantly with a hard slap to his cheek, but was then reprimanded by Dajiang who pulled her away and scolded her resort to violence.

To my surprise it was Zhu who then responded, but he was openly nervous, so sounded insecure with his words, his breathing slightly uneven. "Even Jun?"

Dajiang, Cheng and Daiyu lowered their heads in acknowledgement, as if it wasn't a question, as if they had never heard such truth; I do not think I had ever been so furious, and I doubt I will be again.

In my fury, I lashed out at my friends, both in speech and action, and it took Dajiang several moments to restrain me, and Daiyu even longer to calm me. During this, Zhu and Hai had retreated to a corner of the room, and Cheng, who had attempted to assist Dajiang, soon joined them after I had struck her numerous times.

The meeting concluded with a new operation: a number of courtesans and elite spies would postpone the search for Assassins and begin to look for information solely regarding Jun. While we had been attempting to find her, we had deluded ourselves thinking that she would seek us out, which was why we heard nothing. But, we were wrong – and without her leadership, the entire structure of the Chinese Assassins was crumbling.

* * *

_If anyone still reads this fic, I'm really sorry that it took so long to update. Something pretty serious happened in my life, so I had a lot to deal with and not a lot of time to spare, but thank you for sticking with me. ^_^_

_Also, sherry summerwine, thank you so much for your suggestions! In terms of the language issue, I don't speak any kind of Chinese and don't have access to anyone who does so had to resort to an online translator, I've edited the fic now to add one of your translations in. Also, I admit that I hadn't done much research on Shanghai before I started writing this fic. I used it simply because I've visited Shanghai before and I loved my time there - if I have the time, I'll work on finding a new location for the fic and work on editing that in. :DD_


	12. Chasing Ghosts

**Chasing Ghosts**

Just days after relocating our elite courtesans, word of Jun's presence reached our spies in the military, who then relayed the information to us.

All this time – and she had been right under our noses warming the Emperor's bed as his concubine.

The Assassin's and I spent our days and nights consumed by this information, researching and planning her rescue, but, in the end, it all seemed fruitless as security surrounding the palace was absolute. We had numerous spies located in the vicinity, but they were not infiltrators, and we did not want their lives at risk – and many we could not trust under torture. But, in passing, it wasn't until Daiyu mentioned my ancient arrest warrant Jun had brought upon me almost two years ago, that our plan was finalised.

With construction plans of the Forbidden City, guard patrol routes and military uniforms all obtained by spies, we were ready within days – all that remained was to revisit my courtesan training.

The theory behind our plan was at least solid – the Emperor, being a man who pursued vigilantly his various desires and enjoyment, would not resist such a prize as a foreign noblewoman educated in the art of seduction. And already the knowledge of my existence had been planted with the court, which had begun to clamour for my arrest.

Weapons were all that remained, and luckily for us, it was winter – meaning our clothing could cover more and wouldn't be looked upon suspiciously, despite that, I would be wearing rather tight garments, meaning that I was only able to carry knives and a few throwing daggers – hopefully, I could make them count. Dajiang and Hai, in their military uniforms could wield larger swords or even polearms, but Cheng and Daiyu were at an even greater loss, if even we were able to even find a way for them to get inside.

But, our plan did not rely on them – but on my skills only, Cheng and Daiyu would be able to provide cover and assistance, but, with them it would mean I had less time to retrieve Jun, and I doubted that they would be able to reach the concubine quarters, as heavily guarded as they were.

Eventually, we settled on them being able to provide an escape route once Jun and I had exited the Forbidden City - we would be unable to lose the guards on foot, alone. Dajiang and Hai would then distract a detachment of guards by sending them in the opposite direction once the alert had been sounded – which we knew it would; the girls were consistently checked upon by their guards, they would realise Jun and mine's disappearance, but I was confident that I could retrieve her during the private moments in-between.

In the meantime, I focused on preparing myself when I was finally reunited with her – despite my own emotions, I could not let my feelings for her jeopardise this mission, not when we'd spent so long apart. I will not allow this mission to be ruined, and I will return her to her rightful place among the Assassins. The Brotherhood of China is relying on me, and I will not fail them.

* * *

_A/N: I'm so, so sorry that this has taken so long! There was so much stuff happening in my life at the end of last year, and I've not actually had the chance to actually sit down and right until now. Also, I do realise that this chapter is teeny - the next one will be longer, but I wanted to give you guys something and show you that this isn't dead. __Thanks for sticking with me! :D_


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